This invention relates generally to continuous web business processing machines and particularly to a conveyor apparatus forming an integral part of such a machine which provides that document blanks are sequentially deposited on the continuous web in an overlapped relation.
Continuous web business processing machines of the type under consideration commonly produce a combination product which consists of the web having document blanks attached thereto. The blanks frequently require further processing in the nature of printing for example and it is a considerable advantage to provide that such blanks are overlapped with respect to each other so that they can be fed as a continuous stream into a printing machine in such a way that each blank tends to hold the following blank in place and thereby avoid disengagement, tearing and other problems to which the blanks would otherwise be subject as they are passed between rollers and other mechanisms. In addition the overlap condition tends to render the web, blank combination easier to package and store.
Conveyor apparatus which provides this overlap alignment are known and one such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,967. In this apparatus an angled overhead conveyor rack assembly is used in combination with a bottom conveyor assembly, the combination being disposed between a feeder such as a Halm Jet rotary vacuum feeder and a compression station. The bottom conveyor is provided with longitudinally spaced stops at intervals shorter than the length of the blanks. The leading edge of the document blank is intercepted by one of the stops and the trailing end is raised by a succeeding stop in cooperation with the overhead conveyor rack which applies a downward force onto the document blank as the document blank moves toward the compression station. The operation of this overlap device and particularly the aligned forward movement of the blank depends upon the use of the overhead rack which is a somewhat complicated and therefore expensive device.
Another apparatus which provides for the staggering of blanks of sheet material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,667. This patent discloses the use of an endless conveyor having a wedge cam element on the outer surface. The cam is provided with an inclined leading flank and a trailing flank. Blanks fed onto the conveyor impinge against the trailing flank and the blanks are held onto the conveyor by suction during travel. The leading edge of the cam raises preceding blanks to permit following blanks to be received under said preceding blanks by virtue of the reduced exit speed of the blanks. A carrier sheet business form assembly having overlapping blanks is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,987 and is standard in the industry.